1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-vivo examination system, and more particularly, to an in-vivo examination system for examining a subject such as a person or an animal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of conventional devices for observing the inside of a subject such as a person or an animal include an endoscope that has two end portions, with one of the end portions being inserted into a subject to observe the inside of the subject (hereinafter referred to simply as an endoscope), and a capsule-type endoscope (hereinafter referred to simply as a capsule endoscope). Examples of endoscopes include an electronic endoscope that has a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor provided in its end portion, and a fiberscope that has a bundle of optical fibers inserted into a tubular probe. Such a probe is inserted into a subject from the mouth or anus of the subject, and captures images of the inside of the subject (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 3,898,781, for example). On the other hand, a capsule-type medical device has such a size as to be swallowed by a person or an animal. A capsule-type medical device is inserted orally into a subject, and captures images of the inside of the subject on a regular basis. The captured images of the inside of the subject are transmitted as radio signals to an external receiving device. An observer reproduces a plurality of images obtained by an endoscope or a capsule endoscope on a display device individually or sequentially, and observes the images so as to examine the inside of the subject.
In recent years, there has been a suggested technique by which the current location of the end portion of the probe of an endoscope is detected, and the detected current location is incorporated into a subject's internal three-dimensional image generated beforehand with the use of another modality. The three-dimensional image thereof is then displayed (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-200030, for example). By this conventional technique, while viewing a three-dimensional image as a virtual space that reproduces the inside of a subject, an operator can handle the end portion of the probe of an endoscope in the real space, and guide the end portion of the probe to a desired location. Accordingly, the end portion of the probe can be guided to the desired location more accurately and quickly.